2017

Took accountability for the work of the Feeding Britain Networks local group, Feeding Barnsley.

The Frank Field’s School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill 2017-19, a response to holiday hunger, was introduced. The bill found that children from lower-income households were negatively impacted upon during the school holidays. This Bill set to address that.

Became accountable for the strategic delivery of school holiday activities with food in the borough’s most deprived areas.

2018

The Government funded targeted holiday provision pilots through the Department for Education (DfE) to inform effective future programme design. Feeding Britain secured some of the funding, of which Feeding Barnsley secured £30k.

Using this funding, we supported delivery over the six-week school Summer Holiday period through the Barnsley Healthy Holidays Task Group, a delivery group of Feeding Barnsley.

2019

January – The Anti-Poverty Delivery Group and Feeding Barnsley Steering Group came together again to discuss the need for a Barnsley Food Partnership that would continue the important work that had been done up until now, and shine a light on Barnsley that demonstrated the brilliant work being done on a more national stage.

March – We had developed a vision and mission for what would become Good Food Barnsley CiC, with agreed plans for development of a theoretical framework. These were presented to, and approved by, the Stronger Communities Partnership.

July – Barnsley Healthy Holidays supported 14,000 places across six clubs.

2020

June – Good Food Barnsley was incorporated, and held their first legal Steering Group meeting as Good Food Barnsley Community Interest Company (CiC).

July – Barnsley Healthy Holidays supported 2857 unique children, with 24,188 interactions with children and families and 30,307 meals.

September – We appointed an Innovation Manager, Amy Calvert, to support and facilitate with existing and new models of food access.

October – We signed an open letter to Government by Sustain to use the sugar tax money to expand Free School Meals. We wrote to our local MP, Stephanie Peacock, to ask her to support the School Breakfast Bill, set to be presented by Emma Lewell-Buck later this month.

December – Barnsley Healthy Holidays supported 621 families (1,518 children), provided 4,016 meals, and distributed 1,246 activity packs.

2021

February – Barnsley Healthy Holidays distributed over 800 food boxes, including fresh fruit and vegetables to families across the borough. Approximately 1,250 children were supported across the borough and almost 8,000 meals provided in total. In addition, Good Food Barnsley partnered with What’s Your Move to work on the Febru-welly campaign, encouraging Barnsley families to get out and get active over the half term period (and beyond). To support with this, over 150 raincoats and wellies were distributed across the borough.

May – Supporting with the delivery of Healthy Holidays provision, Good Food Barnsley sat on the Healthy Activities and Food Steering Group for Easter, May Half Term and Summer holidays.

July – Barnsley Healthy Holidays, now frontlined by the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (BMBC) was supported by Good Food Barnsley taking a strategic role in delivery. In addition to the Healthy Holidays Programme, Good Food Barnsley also supported local frontline organisations through additional funding support from Meals and More, who provided funding for an additional 449 children and 1298 meals served and 96 food parcels delivered over the Summer period.

December – Good Food Barnsley now chairs the Provider meetings for Barnsley Healthy Holidays, supporting in the delivery of Healthy Holiday activities and providing a networking opportunity for providers across the borough to share best practice.

2022

April – Good Food Barnsley continues to support with the Barnsley Healthy Holidays programme, and piloted a two day workshop during the Easter holidays with a Roald Dahl themed set of food and activities in New Lodge (see more on our blog). This is set to be developed for a bigger Summer programme to encourage young people to be more imaginative, creative and playful with and through food.

We have been shortlisted for an award! The LGC Award shortlisting is a fantastic acknowledgement of our partnership working. We look forward to attending the awards evening in July.

May – Storehouse & Field is set to open its doors on 16th May for members in and around Shafton to visit our new Hub, sign up, and see what we’re about.